ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — Emmanuel Sanders is a proven winner. His past stops in Pittsburgh, Denver, San Francisco, and New Orleans prove that. And with that experience, he's able to bring a presence to a Bills locker room that's done some winning of its own.
"I had the pleasure of playing with DeMarcus Ware and Peyton Manning. And then I've been to New Orleans and San [Francisco]. I've been around some Hall of Fame guys," Sanders said. "If you ever want to be great at something, you look at the people that are great at it."
Sanders comes to Buffalo with a Super Bowl win already under his belt. Nearly everywhere he's gone in his NFL career, Sanders has played for a contender. And that's what he knew he was getting out of the Bills.
"It's everything I thought it was going to be. I mean, I came here for a reason. I did my research," Sanders said. "I'm having fun. The first two days have been great."
He's adding experience and a deep threat to one of the league's best passing offenses in 2020. The wide receiver room is even more crowded this year than it was last year; Gabriel Davis's emergence and Isaiah Hodgins' clean bill of health have made it a deeper group, and one of the best in the NFL.
But for Sanders, the fun in Orchard Park starts with quarterback Josh Allen.
"Josh made a throw today that I haven't seen. A post ball to Cole Beasley. It was crazy," Sanders said. "Like mouth dropping. And I've been in the league for 12 years."
He's also played with the likes of Manning, Drew Brees, and Ben Roethlisberger since being drafted by Pittsburgh in 2010. It's high praise to get a reaction like that out of someone who's caught balls from three bona fide Hall of Famers. But Sanders holds Allen's "zip" and accuracy in high regard without any in-game action together.
"I'm old school. I'm backyard football. Let's strap up," Sanders said. "That's kind of how Josh plays too, like hey look. Just get open, and I'll find you, and I'll get you the ball... I think sometimes people overthink it, right? At the end of the day, football is just a game."
Sanders was looking for another winner to play for. The Bills were looking to add another veteran winner to the locker room. It was the perfect match off the field, and after two days of training camp, it looks like it'll be a perfect match on the field, too.
